An authentic 1944 steam locomotive will be running excursions up and down the track along the East Busway on Sunday. Great viewing from any of the bridges over the tracks. I’m not sure how far east it is traveling, but likely at least Homewood.

So, while you’re aht & abaht on your bikes, if you hear a train whistle, yep, it’s for real. It’s been many years since we had a steamer in the city, and many decades since we had hundreds of them a day.

I’m told it might be in town on Saturday, too, coming in from the direction of Conway Yards (along 65, about 15 miles downstream on the Ohio River).

Per the twitter feed (which you don’t need an account to read, just to talk back, fwiw), they’re at conway now. I didn’t read in depth but it sounds like they’ll be in the area a while; there’s reference to leaving altoona on the 20th.

I was thinking exactly the same thing Stu. I imagined watching it roll under the bike bridges on the GAP just past The Waterfront. Then I realized that the thing vents steam and nasty coal-fire exhaust from the top. Steam burns. So….maybe I’ll watch from the side of a bridge!

And the Homewood they’re referring to is north of Beaver Falls, where the Turnpike crosses the Beaver River.

Here, the closest it is getting to the city is the bridge over Brunot’s Island. The McKees Rocks Bridge will be a great vantage point. So will Island and Beaver by the old PAT HQ, or by Alcosan. Apparently it will travel toward the city to that bridge, cross it, reverse, cross it in reverse to the other direction, and then reverse again to head back downstream. (In railroad parlance, that’s called a “wye”.)

I mentioned a couple of spots about four posts up. River trail to old jail, then over to Beaver & Eckert, is close to level and traffic free.

Train will climb up to the bridge to cross Beaver Ave and over the river, then will reverse over that same bridge to over on the N Side. If you are on NSide (like at Brighton & North) expect to see the back end of the train first. Once it is clear of the switch from the bridge (I’m not sure where that is), it will go back north/west/downstream/away from the city. At that point, it will be at street level at Island at Beaver.

This was a bit earlier, up at Osborne (just toward the city from Sewickley).

I didn’t realize the train was going to be on the track I was sitting right next to. I ducked out of the way when I realized I was going to get a blast of cinders from about five feet away. Which is why I’m 10 feet away in the Emsworth pic.

One more chance to see this Sunday morning! About the same schedule as on Saturday. It leaves Conway at 9, will reverse into the North Side about 9:45, then head back to Conway.

I’d say your best vantage point is along Beaver between Eckert (Alcosan, jail) and the elevated bridge. Try to be down there as soon after 9:30 as you can.

If you want to be above it, go to the McKees Rocks Bridge; the sidewalks are open on both sides (despite the “sidewalk closed” signs that have been sitting there since they completed the reconstruction job in 2009). Best access is river trail to the old jail, Beaver, Eckert, L McClure, L Antrim, R Fleming, L Davis, cross California, to end of street, staircase to corner of PA65 at McKees Rocks Bridge, cross 65, get on a sidewalk and look down.

Yes. Stu, thanks you very much for the info. I will have some pics and video to share. I thought it was really neat the distinctly different sounds it made in reverse as compared to moving forward. Pretty cool.

I just heard it roll through up on Troy Hill here. Wish I had a better vantage point to see the tracks from up here. Again, many thanks for the info Stu, made my Wife, kid, and myself’s day checking out that awesome machinery.